Aviophobia[edit]
Bergkamp's nickname is the "Non-
Flying Dutchman" due to his
fear of flying. This stemmed from an incident with the Netherlands national team at the 1994 World Cup where the engine of the plane cut out during a flight,
[126] prompting a journalist to joke about having a bomb in his bag.
[127] Following this incident, Bergkamp decided he would never fly again but did consider seeking psychiatric help:
I've got this problem and I have to live with it. I can't do anything about it, it is a psychological thing and I can't explain it. I have not flown on a plane for two years. The Dutch FA has been sympathetic, so have Arsenal, so far. I am considering psychiatric help. I can't fly. I just freeze. I get panicky. It starts the day before, when I can't sleep.
[127]
The condition severely limited his ability to play in away matches in European competitions and to travel with the national team. In some cases, he would travel overland by car or train, but the logistics of some matches were such that he would not travel at all.
[126] In the build-up to Arsenal's Champions League match against
Lyon in February 2001, Wenger spoke of his concerns for Bergkamp travelling by train and car, because of the exertions involved.
[128]